Stetson Bennett is considered to be one of the greatest underdog stories in recent sports history, but he's also been among the most polarizing prospects within the same time frame.

And one of the topics of discussion surrounding Bennett is whether or not he should have a place in the College Football Hall of Fame, in light of the 2025 CFB HOF ballot recently being announced.

College football analyst Josh Pate of CBS Sports did not hold back when he offered his opinion on the matter.

"Stetson Bennett belongs in the College Football Hall of Fame," Pate said on his podcast, Late Kick with Josh Pate. "Are you people high? Let's just state it for the record. St. Helens erupts in 1980. Georgia then wins a national championship, and both go dormant. St. Helens, thankfully, still is. Georgia wakes up in 2021 with Stetson Bennett as their quarterback. He wins the national title."

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It's easy to make the case for Bennett after he made history at Georgia as a former walk-on turned Heisman Trophy finalist who beat out a former top quarterback recruit in the nation to lead his team to college football's highest stage multiple times.

He went from a prospect with one FBS scholarship offer to a household name as he finished out his career with the Bulldogs with 

But, based on the current rules, Bennett will never find a place in the Hall of Fame. And it has more to do with a controversial technicality than anything else. 

According to the National Football Foundation rules as they stand at present day, Bennett is ineligible for the College Football Hall of Fame because he was never a first-team All-American. 

With plenty to back up why Bennett deserves higher recognition for his accomplishments, whether or not an exception is made for him in the HOF as the winds of change continue to blow in this era of college athletics will be something to watch.